


Pas de Trois

by orphan_account



Category: Princess Tutu
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-13
Updated: 2014-11-29
Packaged: 2018-01-19 07:16:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 44
Words: 8,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1460584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of three sentence AU ficlets, done for a Tumblr meme.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Among the Stars

**Author's Note:**

> Done for tumblr user iwouldwalk500giles, for the prompt "Fakiru. A SPACESHIP."

They met on a crowded transport, the writer returning home after a trip to visit an editor off-planet, and the dancer who’d just joined a company on the world he lived on; they’d somehow ended up sitting next to each other, and though he wasn’t normally the type to engage in conversation with strangers, she was, and something about her bright, bubbly manner and sweet face drew him in, and he couldn’t help speaking at length with her, and before he knew it the trip he’d thought would drag on for tedious hours was already over.

But he’d learned much about her in that time, and she about him, and both were smitten, though they wouldn’t admit it at first, and despite how tired he was, he offered to help her find her new living quarters; and here again coincidence, or fate, was on their side, for she was renting a small apartment next door to his.

Keeping in contact with each other would therefore not be a problem, and soon became a joy; and though they would eventually take many trips among the stars together, they would always fondly remember that first one.


	2. Taboos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user opalescentegg, for the prompt "Fakiru, His Dark Materials". Based on the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman.

It happened quite by accident, one snowy evening when she came to visit him in his dorm room at the men’s college he attended: he reached out to brush some hair away from her face, and her duck daemon fluttered up onto her shoulder at the same moment, and they touched, violating the ancient taboo.

But taboo or not, the feeling it sent jolting through Ahiru was incredible, unlike anything else, and with his permission she reached out a trembling hand to touch the feathers of Fakir’s owl daemon, so that he could experience what she just had; and it didn’t stop there either, as with blushing faces and racing hearts they continued to explore this new sensation together.

It was more intimate than anything they had ever done, and deepened what was already a powerful connection into one that was unbreakable, for who else could they trust with this; they had touched each other’s souls in a very literal way, and found that they loved each other all the more for it.


	3. Journeys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user opalescentegg, for the prompt "Fakiru, crossover with an anime of your choice!". Anime chosen was The Slayers.

Fakir had already been thinking of settling down and taking up writing full-time, because the life of a wandering swordsman just wasn’t a good fit for him, but he hadn’t known where he wanted to end up, exactly, until he came to Seyruun, and met a pretty, freckle-faced bundle of energy who was studying white magic, as was to be expected in a kingdom devoted to it. 

Ahiru, for her part, found his stories of life on the road and its many adventures fascinating, and implored him to write his tales down because she thought they deserved to be preserved; and so that was the clincher in the end, motivating him to use his savings to find a place to live, and a steady job where he could come see her often and still have time for his writing. 

And maybe, someday, he’d take her with him on a journey, perhaps to see his birthplace, Atlas City, or just to show her the wonders of the world outside the city walls.


	4. Adventurous Skies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user kickingandpumpkins, for the prompt "Rue/Mytho, pirate au". AU is based on the world of the video game Skies of Arcadia.

The last thing Rue had expected to find aboard what looked like a merchant vessel had been the handsome young Valuan prince; it seemed like a disaster in the making, at first, when she recognized the pale-haired stowaway as the heir to the Imperial throne. 

Strangely enough, however, her father, the infamous Black Pirate Raven, didn’t recognize him, and let her interrogate the disguised prince; it turned out that he was on an important undercover mission, and time was of the essence. 

Rue, despite her heritage, was really more Blue Rogue than anything at heart, and decided to help him and start a new life for herself at the same time; and so they stole away in the middle of the night, commandeering one of the smaller vessels her father kept at his base, flying into an unknown future, together.


	5. Many Years

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user deterwhat, for the prompt "Fakiru as an elderly couple!"

Her bright hair has long ago turned to grey, as have his dark locks; he has to wear glasses now, and their hands are as lined with wrinkles as their faces (and the one he injured for her sake stiffens up and pains him more than it used to). 

But they still link them together, still see each other through the eyes of youth, their eyes have never lost the sparkle that appears in them when they look at each other, and most importantly, their hearts are still every bit as connected as they were when they first fell in love, maybe not in spite of the many things they’ve weathered over the years, but because of them. 

No matter what, they’ve always had each other, always made each other stronger, and that has never and will never change; and when at last they leave the world of the living and move on, it’s in their sleep, moments apart, still holding each other as close as always.


	6. Teamwork

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user kat2kool, for the prompt "Fakiru, Victorian steampunk detectives!"

He hadn’t been at all sure she was the assistant he wanted when he first reluctantly agreed to take her on; she was too loud, for one thing, and clumsy, and that seemed like a surefire way to botch an investigation, by messing up crime scenes at the very least, and they’d certainly had their share of mishaps and close calls and ruined evidence. 

But she was very smart despite the occasional moments of being feather-brained, and she knew how to talk to people and make them feel at ease much better than he did, and so bit by bit they became true partners, working together seamlessly to solve case after case by using their individual strengths together. 

And when she planted an enthusiastic kiss on him late one night after they’d successfully concluded another job, it seemed like less of a surprise and more like something that had been a long time coming.


	7. Bewitching Hour

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user innokaskaali, for the prompt "Fakiru, Halloween Town (or holiday worlds of your choice)".

Ahiru was supposed to be working hard at brewing potions; after all, there were only (as the Mayor was so fond of reminding them) two hundred and fifty-seven days left until the next Halloween, and that meant it was crunch time - and yet, she couldn’t help but give in to temptation and sneak out, so that she could meet Fakir in the graveyard. 

The handsome young vampire had thoroughly captured her heart, and in these private moments he was fond of teasingly saying that she had cast a spell on him (he knew as well as she did that the only magic here was the love between them, and it had required no incantation or mystical brew, only the feelings in their hearts); they shared such moments under the moon, by withered trees, behind graves, by the light of jack-o-lanterns, even in the snow that one memorable year when Jack had tried to take over Christmas too. 

They were something like outcasts in Halloween Town, not viewed as scary enough to frighten anyone, and so they tended to be left out of the festivities; but that was all right with them, because they preferred to be alone together anyway, and made their own fun with each other.


	8. Magic Connections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user lifeislikeabadrpg, for the prompt "Fakiru, Witch Week". Based on the novel of that name by Diana Wynne Jones.

He’d suspected her of being the class witch, and she had suspected him of the same - what a surprise to find that they were both witches, what a shock to discover those powers within themselves, and then to happen upon each other testing those powers out. 

Fear soon turned to grudging trust, and then to tentative friendship as they bonded over their shared secret and tried things out; there were blushes in the dark as they shared the one broomstick they were able to procure and flew it together into the nearby forest, and when their hands brushed and their eyes met, they realized that there was a very different kind of magic brewing between them. 

Later, when the memory of that time was lost and witchcraft was lost from their world, their bond would nevertheless form again, under different circumstances but no less the stronger, because connections like theirs were the sort that transcended such things.


	9. Something Fishy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user alchemypotato, for the prompt "Fakiru in the world with only shrimp". Based on something referenced in the tv show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

In all the worlds they had stopped in on their journey, it was by far the strangest, and yet paradoxically the least interesting. At least to Fakir, anyway; Ahiru seemed to find some of the shrimp rather pretty, and tried to talk to them, without success. Eventually, though, both became bored and they moved on to another world.


	10. Defying Fate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user dotwilliams, for the prompt "Mytho/Rue, Buffyverse". Based on the tv show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

It wasn’t supposed to happen like this; she was meant to learn the weakness of the handsome young demon hunter who sought to take down her father, not fall in love with him - that was exactly what she’d been warned against doing, against being, for that was what silly human girls did and she was only half human, she should choose the demon half of her heritage. 

But bit by bit, he won her heart, without even trying, and then he helped her make the discovery that she was an ordinary human girl after all, who’d been kidnapped and lied to, all because of a prophecy that her magical gifts would one day be the Raven’s undoing; and when she tearfully confessed what her original intentions were, he’d forgiven her, and chosen to keep loving her, for he could see that she’d always had a kind human heart even when she believed otherwise. 

And so, with him by her side, she chose to fulfill the prophecy and set herself free, and afterwards set out with him to begin a new life.


	11. Returned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user reisempai, for the prompt "Fakiru, zombies".

He hadn’t meant for it to happen this way, and he didn’t understand how it had - all he’d wanted was to use his gift for Spinning to bring her back after he’d lost her. 

It hadn’t been the best decision, in hindsight, made while he was lost in the grips of a paralyzing grief; maybe that was what had caused Ahiru to come back so wrong, so very wrong, maybe in his pain and anguish he had somehow chosen his words incorrectly and done this to her. 

He didn’t have time to wallow in his guilt long, however, for she soon made him like her; and then they both found a strange sort of peace together, unlikely and bizarre, but theirs nonetheless.


	12. Tidings of Joy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user innokaskaali, for the prompt "Fakiru, Harry Potter AU".

Ahiru didn’t have any hope of going to the Yule Ball, because she was only a third year, after all, and nobody seemed to want to ask her anyway; and the only boy she wanted to go with would surely have no shortage of prettier, more talented witches clamoring to be his date - why would he have any interest in taking her, he wouldn’t need a last resort when he was so handsome and smart and sighed over by so many other girls. 

To her surprise, however, Fakir found her in the library one afternoon, and awkwardly asked her who she was going with, and seemed surprised both by the fact that she didn’t have a date yet, and that no one seemed interested in her, which surprised Ahiru in turn, but not as much as when he haltingly, with his face and ears turning as red as a Gryffindor scarf, asked her if she might want to go with him; in her shock, she almost turned him down, babbling out things about how he couldn’t possibly want to go with her, she couldn’t dance and she was too clumsy and weren’t there better girls, realizing her error only when she saw the flash of hurt in his eyes, quickly masked by an attempt at acting angry and indifferent (an odd combo, but only he could pull it off), and pulling back just in time, blushing and stammering over an explanation that she’d love to go with him, she really would, she was just so surprised that he’d want to go with her, and when she asked if other girls had already turned him down, he went even redder and admitted that no, he’d waited this long to ask her because he’d needed to work up the courage to do so, and that was perhaps the biggest shock, but also what finally convinced her to say yes, now that she knew he really did want to go with her, not as a last resort but as a first choice. 

So she got herself a pretty yellow dress, and put her lengthy hair up, and blushed when he shyly told her that she looked beautiful, and apologized endlessly for stepping on his feet when they danced, even though he didn’t seem to mind, and they snuck out into the garden and had their first, awkward, but wonderful kiss; it was their first date, but not their last, not by a long shot, and in the years and decades to come they’d always remember it fondly, for it had been a truly magical night for them both.


	13. New Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user opalescentegg, for the prompt "Fakiru, Vikings".

The weather on this little island was much milder than it had been back home, yet still Fakir found little to love about the settlement that was his new home, for he felt oddly homesick, and the crowds of people here were a bit overwhelming at times. 

But then he met the pretty, red-haired native girl, who had a splash of freckles across her nose and didn’t fear him, even though he was one of the invaders who had settled in her homeland, and over time began to love this place, because she was there and he loved her. 

When at last they wed, it was the first time he ever really considered it his home, and so it was a new beginning in more than one way for them.


	14. Promises Kept

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user opalescentegg, for the prompt "Fakiru, Napoleonic Wars".

When the strike had come, Fakir had not expected ever to wake up, nor to see Ahiru again; as his eyes closed and the pain lanced through him, he uttered a silent apology to her for not being able to return home to her. 

Instead, he’d come to hours later, badly wounded but alive, and so he clung stubbornly to life against all odds, that he might keep his promise after all. 

He was no longer able to fight when at last he recovered, and that was a relief to both him and his young fiancee, who greeted him with tears of joy when he finally returned to her as he’d sworn to.


	15. In the Woods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user kickingandpumpkins, for the prompt "Fakiru, lumberjack AU".

He met her in the woods one crisp autumn day, when she tumbled out of a tree he’d marked for felling; he at first mistook her for a fairy, or a wood sprite of some kind, something that made her giggle and blush when he said so. 

No, she told him, I am as human as you are, and live nearby; I make my living making medicines out of the herbs and plants that grow in this forest, so if I really were something out of a fairy tale, I would be more likely to be a witch than a princess or a fairy. 

He thought that unlikely, lovely as she was, and invited her to share his lunch with him that day; they would meet many more times, and share much more, as the days went on and turned to months, weeks, and then to years spent by each other’s sides.


	16. Safe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user cjwritergal, for the prompt "Fakiru, Final Fantasy AU (any of the games)". Game chosen was Final Fantasy IX.

Lindblum was an enormous city, but it was still a simple thing for them to meet, because they both lived in the Theater District, him struggling to make it as a playwright, she as an actress, and they struck up a friendship over the ensuing months that grew stronger and stronger over time; yet, it wasn’t until Alexandria’s attack that she realized exactly how much he meant to her, and vice versa. 

When she heard that the Industrial District had been completely wiped out, she felt as if her whole world had come crashing down, for Fakir had mentioned to her that he was going to visit his father there the night the attack happened, and she found herself sobbing in a corner of the air car station, distraught that she should have lost the person who was most important to her; but as luck would have it, a car from the Business District disembarked, and Fakir found her crying, and embraced her tightly, explaining that his father had moved his shop to one near the church, and that they’d been spared the brunt of the attacks - to her surprise, he was crying too as he held her, and admitted to having felt the same panic and grief when he’d heard of the devastation inflicted on the Theater District. 

Once her tears dried, she admitted that she now had no home, for it had been wiped out moments after she’d gotten out, and she’d narrowly escaped the Black Mages, and she’d been so worried about him and before she knew it she was confessing that she loved him and tearing up again as she babbled about how awful it would’ve been if he’d died before she told him that; and he soothed her fresh tears, and told her he felt the same, and once they were both calmed down enough he took her back to his father’s shop, where they both would stay until enough of the city had been rebuilt.


	17. Inner Darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on the manga series Fullmetal Alchemist. Written for tumblr user kickingandpumpkins, for the prompt "Fakiru, AU where Ahiru is Wrath".

So little of her life feels real, so little has been in her control, of her choosing, she doesn’t even know her own real name, there are so many secrets she must keep, but there is one thing that is real, one thing she was allowed agency in, and that was him, she was allowed to choose one thing in her life and she chose him and she has never regretted it for a second, he is the best thing about this bizarre life she leads; she even confessed to him the truth about what she is out of a desperate desire to make things truly be real between them because there must be no secrets between them that way, even though she feared he would recoil from her, but he didn’t, he chose her the same way she chose him, he swore to stay by her side forever and he intends to keep that promise, he loves her no matter what she is and knows she loves him, he isn’t afraid of her, he trusts her the way he doesn’t trust anyone else (he even knows that their “daughter”, Uzura, is actually Pride, and he’s accepted her into his heart as well). 

When she’s in his arms, she feels at peace (a feeling she never thought she’d experience), both through his loving efforts and by virtue of him simply being who he is, and she knows there’s no one else in this wretched country, in this world, so worthy of being by her side, so worthy of the love her kind is not supposed to feel, but she does, she does for him, and she would unleash her full fury on anyone that tried to harm him; she thinks sometimes of what it would be like to run, to escape, to live a quiet life in some distant land, maybe Greed had the right idea, but no, her face is so much less anonymous than Greed’s, her function more important, and they would never be able to get away. 

No, better to wait for the Promised Day to secure immortality for them both - only then can they be truly safe, only then will they finally have the forever they promised each other when they married.


	18. Making a Splash

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user alchemypotato, for the prompt "Fakir and Mytho, swim club AU". Based on the anime Free! Iwatobi Swim Club.

Trying to get Mytho to keep his pants on is like trying to stop the tides… all right, bad analogy, considering what it is that makes them practically fly off him without any effort at all. It’s frustrating sometimes, is what it is - show him even just a kiddie pool, hell, a fish tank, and he’s ready to dive in. At least he always has his swim trunks on underneath, and doesn’t try to skinny dip like when they were children, but _still_.


	19. At Midnight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user opalescentegg, for the prompt "Ruetho, fairytale of your choice".

She questions herself all the way in - is this worth it, what if her wicked stepfather finds out, what if she can’t get home in time, will the possible consequences be worth this one night, has she made a mistake, is this going to ruin everything for her, so many horrible possibilities and what-ifs - but they all fade away once she’s actually inside, at the ball, and especially when her eyes meet the prince’s, and he smiles, and offers her his hand, and they begin to dance. 

It’s all worth it, she decides, even the worst that can possibly happen if disaster strikes, it’s all worth it to dance with him, and they dance and dance through the night, with occasional pauses to step outside for a breath of fresh air and a bit of shy conversation; and if not for the limit upon her time here, she would have stayed all night, but alas, a bell tolls to alert her to the late hour, and she must flee before the spell is broken, breaking away from his embrace and running as fast as her feet will carry her, away, down the palace steps, ignoring that he is running after her with a plea not to go, please don’t go, please tell me your name and how I might find you - it pains her heart not to be able to grant him these requests, but she knows she cannot, and so she keeps running, tears streaming down her cheeks, and she does not even stop to retrieve the slipper that comes loose from her foot when she turns her ankle on the stairs but miraculously does not fall, and she doesn’t stop running until she’s safely away, and she finds her way home clothed once again in tatters, her transportation having reverted to what it was. 

It proves to be that very same lost shoe that is her salvation, however, giving the prince a way to find her again, and though her stepfather and stepsisters try to keep them from each other, in the end they cannot, and so she is whisked away to start a new life, with her true love, and never again will she be anyone’s servant.


	20. Awakening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user opalescentegg, for the prompt "Fakiru, fairytale of your choice".

All her life, Ahiru’s been warned to stay away from that grove and the ruined cottage she can see deep within, just barely, if she stands just inside the edge of the sea of trees and looks closely - they say it’s haunted, it’s cursed, it’s no place for a girl to be exploring in, don’t you be going in there if you value your life - but all that that’s done is pique her curiosity, so one day she finally decides to go in despite the warnings, and when the first chance comes she sneaks in among the trees and begins to explore, pushing through branches and treading on leaves, picking her way amongst rubble as she reaches the ruins of the cottage, wondering who lived here once and what happened to cause this, what the truth of this place really is; and she finds the first part of her answer in the heart of the grove, at the center of the old house, though it doesn’t seem like an answer at first, and only provokes more questions: a massive oak tree that clearly used to be a person, for in its trunk is a face, the handsome face of a boy not much older than she is, seemingly sleeping peacefully, and at first she can only stare at him, bound by wonder and a bit of infatuation. 

To her amazement, as she stares, a wondrous thing begins to happen: he stirs, and wakes, and the tree fades away, and as he falls onto the floor she rushes to catch him in her arms, and he’s too heavy for her to support for long, and too weak to stand up, so she helps lower him gently to the floor of the ruined cottage, and he sits beside her, and opens his eyes, so very green, greener than the leaves of the trees in this mysterious grove, and sees her, and she feels a blush grow on her cheeks at the way he looks at her, and in an effort to push aside her embarrassment, she runs to get him water, and food, babbling all the time; when she returns, he gratefully accepts what she’s brought him, and introduces himself as Fakir when she tells him her name, and when he is strong enough tells her his story, of how a wicked fairy cursed him to prick his finger on a quill on his birthday and die, but a kind fairy rewrote it so that he would merely sleep for a hundred years, in the form she saw him in, and seeing that he is awake now, it is obvious that the century is up and he is free, and he thanks her for being there at the right time, which makes her blush again. 

They talk for what feels like hours, absorbed in each other, until she finally realizes that she will be missed by those at home, and so she takes his hand and tugs him to his feet, and takes him with her that he might get a real meal and a proper place to sleep even if he doesn’t feel like sleeping again for a good long while, and over time she helps him rejoin the waking world and acclimate himself to how it has changed; she becomes his dream come true, and he hers, and when they finally marry, it feels like it was inevitable, not because she woke him from his sleep, but because of how perfect they are for each other.


	21. Living Situation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user opalescentegg, for the prompt "Fakir and Mytho being dorky college roommates/bros".

Mytho was, on the whole, easy to live with in most aspects, because he was a warm and friendly person that everyone liked, and didn’t really have any bad habits as far as upkeep of their dorm room went, he was clean and courteous and considerate; on the other hand, however, he quickly acquired a bit of infamy for the one bad habit he did have, that of his… relaxed… attitude to clothing, specifically the wearing of pants, or perhaps more accurately, his tendency to forget to wear them. 

It got a lot of jokes started, a lot of snickering, and Fakir had to field more awkward questions and smirks about his eccentric roommate than he wanted to, to the point where he would’ve been quite happy to change rooms and never see any part of Mytho again; but then the fame took a quite a different turn, when it began to attract female attention, and Mytho started dating the most sought-after girl in the dance department - suddenly nobody was laughing anymore, if he could still manage to do that despite being a near nudist. 

Things started to quiet down after Mytho and Rue got more serious, which Fakir was thankful for; and then Rue introduced him to her roommate one night, a cheery girl named Ahiru who was also studying dance, and the rest, as they’d say much later, was history.


	22. Through Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user opalescentegg, for the prompt "Ruetho, Norse mythology".

He passed through the flames without fear to find her sleeping, and did what he could to awaken her; when she opened her eyes, the color of them reminded him again of the fire that had surrounded her, and he knew that there ever after could be no other for him as long as he lived, and she knew the same of him. 

She told him her tale, that she was a valkyrie condemned by Odin for her disobedience to live the life of a mortal woman, and trapped until a man rescued and married her; he had already rescued her, and now it remained for him to wed her. 

This they did with haste as soon as they departed the remote castle where she had been imprisoned, and lived out their lives as well as they could, together; it is said that his soul was summoned to Valhalla after his death, as reward for a life of heroism, and that in time Odin forgave her, that she might rejoin her beloved after death in the golden hall.


	23. A Rewarding Quest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user spellthief, for the prompt "Ruetho, high fantasy".

He’d intended to work alone on this quest - it was the easiest way to ensure that he didn’t get found out as being the prince in disguise, after all - but then he’d actually gotten to the inn, and a lovely enchantress named Rue introduced herself to him. 

She was looking for a partner skilled with a sword, she told him, and didn’t mind splitting the reward; so with a little trepidation and a lot of infatuation, he agreed to accompany her, telling her his name was “Mytho” and hoping she didn’t see through it. 

She didn’t guess at it, but neither was she terribly surprised when he confessed his secret to her just before their return to the inn; yet still, she forgave his deception, and married him, and thus gave him a reason to want to stay at home, rather than gallivanting off on, as his advisors called them, “unseemly adventures”.


	24. Studies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user lightningrani, for the prompt "your favorite pairing, college AU".

Ahiru had noticed him around campus before, of course - how could anyone not notice someone so tall, dark and handsome, even if he barely spoke to anyone - but had never interacted with him (he was an English major and she was in dance), until he came up and introduced himself as Fakir, and asked if she would be willing to speak with him when she had some free time, for a creative writing assignment. 

She agreed, and so they went to the local coffeehouse one rainy afternoon, and over hot drinks he asked her questions about dance from a ballerina’s perspective, admitting that he’d taken ballet as a child but was a bit rusty, and knew more about it from the male dancer’s side; she answered all his questions, and asked some of her own, about writing, to which he responded at first with hesitancy, and then with more light coming into his eyes the more he spoke about it, which utterly enchanted her. 

By the end of their meeting, he certainly had more than enough material for the story he had to write, but he wanted to talk to her more, and she wanted to talk to him some more, and so they shyly agreed to meet there again the next day, not for schoolwork, but as a date.


	25. Mysterious Connection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user enigmaticagentalice, for the prompt " Fakir/Ahiru in a 1920s murder mystery setting".

Another writer had been found dead of axe wounds; something had to be done. Ahiru worked tirelessly to determine who was likely to be the next target of the brutal killings, and found that it was an acquaintance of hers, Fakir; he was set to go to a gathering of other authors at a mansion just outside town the following night, and so she persuaded him to let her accompany him as his “date”, in an effort to catch the murderer. She wasn’t able to prevent the next one, but with Fakir’s help she managed to finger the culprit - a man named Bookman - and lock him away for good; she wasn’t surprised when Fakir told her he’d turn this case into his next novel, but she was surprised when he asked her to go on a real date, which she happily accepted.


	26. Bound Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user dotwilliams, for the prompt "Ruetho, Homeward Bounders AU". Based on the book The Homeward Bounders by Diana Wynne Jones.

Growing up, Rue had always heard that there was something at the other end of the rainbow if you just kept going long enough to reach it; she didn’t know if she really believed it, but then one day, during a terrible storm, she finally broke under the strain of her father’s abuse and ran away, and when the rain finally stopped, she figured that with nowhere else to go, she might as well follow the rainbow to its end. 

To her surprise, she found not a pot of gold, as the popular legends had said, but a doorway, a road, that led her into other worlds, and her thought again was that she might as well keep going; and so it was that she met him, a handsome prince who had been tossed out of his kingdom and his world for… he said he violated Their rules, whoever They were, and now he had no choice but to walk the bounds in search of a way home. 

Alone, and lonely, and desperate for someone to keep them company, they chose to wander together, and found solace in one another.


	27. Deliveries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user innokaskaali, for the prompt "Fakiru, anything bicycle courier themed."

The girl delivering his latest supply of paper arrived in fairly poor condition - skinned knees, dirt smudges on her freckled face, and her coral-colored hair in disarray - but, miraculously, the paper was in perfect condition; she explained that she was still getting the hang of this riding thing, and apologized for being late, and after a moment of silence he awkwardly invited her in and offered to give her something hot to drink and some bandages and antiseptic ointment for her knees, which she gratefully accepted. 

She babbled to him the whole time he made her tea and fetched the first aid kit, and something about her started to charm him; she introduced herself as Ahiru, and he told her his name was Fakir, and about what he was using “all that paper” for: writing a book, something she seemed eager to read despite never having read anything of his before (he scoffed a little, which didn’t dampen her enthusiasm, but on the inside he was flattered and a bit flustered, because she really was very pretty, after all). 

He sent her on her way (and it turned out she didn’t live very far away) with some extra bandages and ointment and an admonition to be more careful next time; she promised to be, and made him promise to let her read his book when he finished, a promise that was easy to keep because, over a series of more encounters, they were happily dating by the time he completed it.


	28. Healing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user spellthief, for the prompt "Fakiru, hospital".

First she nearly tripped over her own feet and spilled his food on the floor before she could get it to him, and then she fell all over herself apologizing to him and promised to get him new food as soon as possible; he “hmphed” and said it was all right, especially as he didn’t expect much from hospital food anyway so he didn’t mind waiting. When the new meal came, she ended up staying with him to keep him company, as it was her break, and found out more about him and he about her: she was a nurse who’d just started working there, he was a writer who’d injured his hand in an accident, and she fretted over him and hoped he’d still be able to write after he recovered and her eyes filled with tears and her lip quivered; he ended up having to comfort her and assure her that the physical therapy here was said to be really good and would undoubtedly help him get back in working order. They grew closer during his stay there, and she helped him with the therapy whenever she could; he promised to write her a story when he was recovered and out of the hospital, which gave them an excuse to keep in touch, which in turn led to their eventual romance.


	29. A New Dawn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user innokaskaali, for the prompt "Fakiru in Middle Earth". Based upon the Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien (specifically something that occurs in The Return of the King).

She’d thought it had been the prince she was after, the heir to the throne of Gondor, and had chased him far from home on that belief, only to learn that he had chosen another long ago, and could never be hers, and that he believed she saw in him only the hope of escape from a cage; it cast her down into despair, making her recall the cruel words of her uncle’s treacherous former advisor, calling her an ugly duck and questioning her worth and abilities, and she sank beneath the weight of it all like a stone into a lake.

As she recovered from her injuries in battle, she happened to meet another who had been badly wounded, a knight and son of the steward, who was quieter and, beneath the surface, more sensitive and given to creative pursuits than his late brother had been, and less loved by their father for not being the one to fall in battle instead; he tried to hide it, but she could see pain and loneliness in his green eyes, and so she sought out his company, slowly finding her own solace in their conversations and the stories they exchanged.

By and by it came to be that she realized the truth of the prince’s words to her, even as she slowly came to realize the truth of her growing feelings for the knight who steadfastly stayed by her side during their recoveries; she did not wish to hope in vain again, but then one spring morning on the heels of the victory over Mordor he confessed his love to her, and pledged to be by her side forevermore should she want him there, which of course she did… and so happiness was ever theirs until the end of their days.


	30. Matters of the Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user cjwritergal, for the prompt "Fakiru, Howl's Moving Castle AU!"

He was so bad-tempered and moody that she could easily see how the rumors of heartlessness started; still, as time went by, she could also see his good points, and learned that his bark was actually far worse than his bite. They learned to live with each other, and then when she returned his heart to him - a heart that was kinder than initial impressions had made her think it must be - they realized that they’d learned to love each other as well. He asked her if she would continue to stay by his side, and she agreed, adding that they should try to live happily ever after, a proposal he was equally elated about (he still wasn’t good at openly showing such things, but by that point she knew well enough how to read him, so it didn’t matter).


	31. Workplace Romance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user cjwritergal, for the prompt "Fakiru Parks and Rec AU."

They’d gotten off to a rocky start - she saw him as a hardass killjoy, while he was just trying to do his job, so of course they were bound to clash when the job he had to do put hers and those of the people in her department in jeopardy - but things were better now. She’d seen other sides to him that endeared her to him, and he’d come to respect and admire her tremendously after seeing her in action, and now they were friends.

Friends who were deeply attracted to each other, which was a problem that could cost them both their jobs if it got out, but they were being careful enough… or so they thought, until the day her boss Mr. Katz asked her the question she’d never wanted him to ask.


	32. Courtship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user king-merlin, for the prompt "1) Fakiru 2) feudal japan"

He writes beautiful letters to her, discreetly delivered by a trusted servant; some speak awkwardly but sincerely of his feelings for her, others are stories he makes up for her entertainment. She treasures every one, and hangs onto all of them long after they are married. He is quiet and still on the outside, disciplined and devoted to duty, but also devoted to her, and she knows he loves her deeply, so their marriage is one of joy, despite how odd her own parents think the match.


	33. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user pommedeplume, for the prompt "Fakiru, Hogwarts AU".

They came back to each other as different people after the Battle of Hogwarts; she’d missed her sixth year because she’d had to hide, being a Muggleborn and all, and he had new scars and was more withdrawn after all he’d been through. But one thing that hadn’t changed was their ability to support and help each other, and they spent much time, that seventh year, just comforting each other when the memories came back, or enjoying the brighter moments when it was most plain how lucky and grateful they were to have survived all they had and to still have each other (she’d been so worried for him, after all, and he’d been scared for her, during that dark period of separation). And in time they confessed the feelings they’d long held for each other in their hearts, because it seemed all the more important to speak of such things while still among the living.


	34. Living Arrangements

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user suedeuxnim, for the prompt "Fakiru in Community AU!"

"You should move in here."

The words tumble out of Fakir’s mouth before he can stop them, and he freezes for a moment in panic - why did he say that, she’s going to say no, of _course_ she’s going to say no, why would she ever say yes to _that?_

But after a moment of surprise, Ahiru says yes, and he can see the happiness in her eyes, and it allows him to be happy too; they study together, and laugh about the Dean’s latest antics (“A _bull?_ Where does he even _get_ these costumes?), and put up with Mytho’s tendency to walk around without pants, and eventually work up the courage to admit how much they’ve grown to love each other.


	35. New Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for an anonymous tumblr request, for the prompt "Fakir and Ahiru in your favorite Disney movie". I went with Toy Story, post-Toy Story 3.

They meet at Sunnyside after Lotso’s been deposed: the knight action figure dumped here by a boy who lost interest in them years ago, and now a girl growing up who somehow only managed to retain one small doll from her ballet princess toy set and no longer needs her drops her off in a box filled with other odds and ends. The little doll, her hair red and freckles painted on her cute face, has been lonely for years now, and the knight has seen toys come and go in those dark years; but somehow they find each other, and she brings light to him, and he gives her the companionship she’s longed for. Before long, people are gossiping about them nearly as much as they talk about Ken and Barbie.


	36. Light and Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user mrwhistlingsweets, for the prompt "Mytho/Rue, Star Wars".

For a while, it worked - the pure-hearted Jedi prince everyone loved fell to the Dark Side, corrupted by a fatally beautiful Sith; at least, that was the story everyone else told. But things were more complicated than that, things involving the Sith Master who’d kidnapped her from her parents when she was but an infant, having had a premonition of her talents with the Force, and made her believe he was her father. And in the end, they found the good that still lurked within themselves, and cast off the dark path they’d been led down, and defeated her father together, not as Sith, but as full Jedi.


	37. No Illusions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user jenzia, for the prompt "Duck/Fakir in the Arrested Development-verse."

It was an unusual job, to be sure, being the assistant to the flamboyant magician (who insisted, in between wailing about his sins, that what he did were _illusions_ ), and pretending to get turned into a duck onstage every night; and the pay wasn’t great, especially given that his family had fallen on hard times and he wasn’t the most beloved of them to begin with. But a job was a job, Ahiru supposed, and she worked hard at it, hoping that she could use it to one day get something better.

Something better would come along eventually, yes, and, unexpectedly, so did love, when a journalist doing a story on her boss’ disgraced family asked to interview her; they found themselves connecting immediately, and after a couple subsequent interviews began dating, which was the beginning of the best relationship of either of their young lives.


	38. A Lengthy Tale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user cjwritergal, for the prompt "Fakiru, Rapunzel AU"

It was she who spotted him first - the handsome knight fleeing a pack of villains - and beckoned him climb her lengthy locks, that he might outwit his pursuers. She soon discovered that he had the soul of a poet, and over many more interludes he regaled her with tale after tale, his way of shyly courting his beautiful savior; yet all was undone when a careless question of weight was posed to her wicked captor, resulting in her love being flung from the tower and blinded upon thorns. But time has a way of passing, even in the most dire of situations, and after several months the one who imprisoned her fell to sickness and old age and perished, setting her free at long last; she wandered on her own for months after that, and when a year and a day had passed since her true love had been torn from her she finally found him, and the tears she wept on his face restored his sight, and never from that day forth were they ever separated again.


	39. Arrangements

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user pollyperks, for the prompt "Fakiru, Victorian England AU"

Ahiru wasn’t sure _what_ to think of the brooding young man her parents had apparently promised her to in her infancy; the second son of a wealthy family, Fakir stood to inherit not the estate or title, but would nevertheless live comfortably on what he _would_ take, and spent his time writing poetry and novels in a manor in southern Germany, where he almost certainly would whisk her away to after their vows had been spoken, away from everything and everyone she’d ever known. Additionally, rumors of dalliances with men swirled around him, making her doubt that their marriage would ever be consummated, a thought that filled her with mixed feelings, for while she was not particularly thrilled to be married to a stranger, she couldn’t deny her attraction to him.

Her homesickness did prove to be great once he had indeed taken her from England, but she nevertheless found it eased by a trio of discoveries: one, that she loved the forest and lake on his small estate as much as she loved her home; two, that though the rumors about him were true it did not mean that he had no desire for her; and three, that over time and with effort, they could overcome their shyness and awkwardness and fall deeply in love.


	40. A Good Shot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user cjwritergal, for the prompt "Ruetho, photographer/model AU"

They’d nicknamed him “the prince”, and word was that he got the royal treatment as well, just because of his pretty face. It wasn’t that Rue didn’t understand the attraction - she did, all too well - but when she separated that from her work she dreaded having to deal with someone who was, more than likely, as much of a snobby, self-centered brat as the title implied (and really, all the most attractive models she’d met in this business were high on the fumes of their own beauty and stardom).

She didn’t expect him to be humble and kind, and every bit as charming as a fairy tale prince; she didn’t expect him to tear down her walls either, to make her even consider dating one of the people she photographed for the magazine, but it happened nevertheless, and much later she would thank her lucky stars that she got that particular assignment.


	41. Connected by Strings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user opalescentegg, for the prompt "Fakiru, band AU"

For weeks now, Ahiru had been hearing all about Rue's violinist boyfriend, but hadn't actually met him yet; however, that was about to change tonight, for they were going to attend his quartet's performance, and afterwards go out for a meal at a small local restaurant. The promise of food, music, and fun with friends was enough to lure her, so she jumped at the chance when Rue brought up the idea.  
  
Unexpected, however, was that she would become entirely mesmerized by the darkly handsome cellist, whose nimble fingers moved over the strings in ways that took her breath away, and who possessed eyes so green she couldn't help but think of all the legends she'd read that designated the color as one associated with fairies; and at the diner later, and ever afterwards, both their eyes were only for each other.


	42. Model Students

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for an anon tumblr user, for the prompt "Fakiru, life drawing class"

It really was the last thing he ever wanted to do, and in fact he wouldn’t have done it if not for the favor he owed the teacher, on top of needing money; so when he was approached, nay, _begged_ to do this, because the intended model had had an unfortunate run-in with a bull, he’d reluctantly agreed only after much cajoling and many reminders of the owed favor (not to mention sly hints about his financial situation - college wasn’t cheap, after all).

Maintaining an impassive expression whilst posed nude in front of a group of strangers was easy; less so was not blushing bright red. And downright impossible was failing to notice the cute redheaded student who had a blush of her own on her cheeks all through the class and who, although she had trouble meeting his eyes afterwards, eventually started dating him.


	43. After the End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user pollyperks, for the prompt "Fakiru, post-apocalypse au"

He stumbled out of the underbrush, dehydrated and exhausted; both he and the girl kneeling by the little spring were startled to see each other, but his condition numbed it, and soon gave way anyway to relief that the water was clean and fresh. She babbled nervously to him the whole time as he drank his fill, but only when he’d done that was he able to absorb any of what she was saying; when they’d rested up a while they agreed to take to the road together, as that just made sense. They learned to depend on each other for survival, becoming fast friends as they worked together and used their individual strengths, and eventually found something more between themselves, a love that lit up their corner of the dark and dangerous world they lived in.


	44. Undercover Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for tumblr user spellthief, for the prompt "Ruetho, urban fantasy"

His nickname was The Raven - the boss of a vast organization dedicated to smuggling contraband magical items - and he was the target of a long-running investigation, one that could soon be over if Mytho did his job right.

Unfortunately, he was also the father of the one girl who’d ever stolen his heart, the lovely and equally talented Rue, whose loyalty to her sire seemed unshakable.

Still, there were things desperately wrong with the way she was treated, and Mytho wanted to see her safe, both from him and from what would happen when the whole thing came crashing down, so he launched a private investigation into her background with the help of some trusted friends, based on memories of old case files he’d read years ago; and the information uncovered was enough to turn Rue against her “father” leading her to help take him down and make a deal, the best of all possible outcomes.


End file.
